Zero Life
by reality deviant
Summary: What if Louise got her summoning spell botched differently, and was brought back to Halkeginia with consequances...different. (A Louise reverse summoned from WoW).
1. Chapter 1

It was such a strange day, Henrietta thought, as she hurried across the corridor.

The last few months were one disaster after another.

_Louise Francoise de la Valliere disappeared in a bizarre explosion during her springtime familiar summoning ritual, possibly died, after three consecutive failed attempts to summon a familiar. _And she had no other childhood friends, she mourned her too. And how was she uninformed that poor Louise was struggling so much with her magic?

_The thief, Fouquet, managed to steal the fabled staff of destruction from the very vaults of Tristain academy. _And still, old Osmond refused to explain how it came to be, and the balding teacher accompanying him paled for some reason soon after.

_The secret letter sent to prince Wales was exposed by Wardes the now traitor, who killed Wales, and ensured their correspondence become public, thus destroying any plans of political marriage for her with any self-respecting Brimiric nation. _And he was still at large, reunited with Reconquista, while her reputation and authority was damaged, and the Gryphon knights disbanded and demoralized. The only consolation came from the exposure of a traitor in their midst.

_The people where discontent due to the nearby war in Albion, and the nobles watching her every step, for a chance of their own rise over her ashes. _She was forced to make a deal with Duchess Valliere to search the private royal collection for a way to return their youngest daughter.

_(and it shamed her to admit that only then did she started to search for a way to bring back dear Louise, only then did she try to help her oldest friend)._

Suddenly someone screamed, and she hastened towards the sound.

_She finally found something, and with help of old Osmond and his library and knowledge, conscripted to aid her, the teacher he brought to help him, and the Duchess, they polished (mostly old Osmond), and did the ritual to bring back lost summoners. _It was easily the most draining magic she ever did, but it did produce results, although…

_After the smoke cleared, the saw something new: in the middle of the pentagram lay a figure… _It was Louise, but at the same time not exactly…

She almost reached the cellar, running on the first floor, Agnes beside her, musket in hand.

_She looked a bit older, wearing a strange blue mail and leather armor, wielding a strange, very large long sword, as though a warlord, ready for battle, her skin had a ghostly pallor and her lips lost their color, becoming bluish…_

And despite all this the biggest shock came later.

_After what was between moment and eternity, Duchess Karin Valliere informed her that she will leave home with the body of her daughter at dawn tomorrow, and that the Valliere will stand beside the Princess who granted her boon. Later the reason was confirmed by the ashen bald teacher –Colbert, and her own bodyguard Agnes._

It was a dead body, the corpse of Louise.

_They were puzzled by the attire, and she was reminded of the barbarian warrior queens of distant lands told in some tale. Tale that was made stranger by the caution of Colbert who cast Detect Magic, and discovered that the strange armor, and blade were enchanted, and shouldn't be touched until their nature discovered, while copying the strange, malevolent looking, clearly non Brimiric runes on them to paper for research, while Osmond worried over how to tell it to Karin._

_In the end Louise remained in the ritual chamber in the basement._

And now that the cobwebs of sleep fall of in the run, she recognized it as the very destination the disturbance originated from.

While the last few months were difficult and surprising, and today most unique and strange among them, none prepared her for the sight before her.

'it, it can't be.'

For before her stood, in the cumbersome armor, the two handed sword in hands and at the ready, before a gaping Colbert and truly shocked Osmond, as well as an armed Duchess,

'did she get taller?'

Louise.

* * *

This is something old i published on the SB ZNT snip thread more than a year ago, i now publish it here, with the intend to continue from here.


	2. Chapter 2

Karin Desiree De La Valliere felt had her resolve challenged like never before, when she saw the dead body of her dear Louise. It took all of her willpower to contain her emotions at the sight _'I am steel! I am steel!' _

Seeing that body standing now, moving independently, with eyes glowing blue rattled her like nothing else. Her 'STEEL' melted into slag at the sight of what looked like her beloved child, and not.

While she had her wand in her hand, and pointed at her daughter, she could not attack.

It was the balding teacher- Colbert or something, that was the first to take action.

"Release that body, Spirit, it is dead!"

"Sedr- spirit? The only spirit residing in this body is my own now! Why have you brought me here? Answer quickly!"

The voice held tiny fragments of Louise, that were spoiled by the metallic duel echo, which was very unpleasant on the ears.

Then Colbert raised his wand, and soon a flame shaped akin to a snake, Rose from its tip, and charged at the apparition wearing her child's body.

Instantly, the air around the possessed… girl? 'I think she is a woman now, judging by the curves on her chestplate. Did she really grow so fast during that time?'(Something twisted uneasily in Karin's chest at the thought of how much of Louise life she missed, during that absence since the failed Ritual). Grew colder and she was soon covered by snow and ice. The impact of the fire spell reduced by the opposing cold and frost between it and its target.

The Entity inside Louise didn't wait for the professor to do anything else, as soon after her countering, she loudly called- "Strangulate!"

Shadowy tendrils appeared from her outstretched left hand, the right one holding her sword, and grasped her attacker by the throat. His attempts to claw at them failed, as the fingers simply passed through the inky insubstantial hold that choked him.

It was at that point that Headmaster Osmond stepped forward and loudly exclaimed.

"Miss Valliere, STOP, please, this behavior is unbecoming of a noble and a daughter of a Duke of Tristain! By the Founder! You shame your mother!"

"Founder?" the metallic voice asked, seemingly confused, as it turned its head to look at the one who spoke to it.

"Have you forgotten Founder Brimir in your return to us from the afterlife? You must be confused. Now, please if you would be kind as to release my teacher, I would happily explain things."

"Brimir? Afterlife? Hahahahahaha."

Osmond did not seem to understand what was funny, but was clearly glad to have his fellow professor released.

"Is, is that really you, Louise?" the princes only now voiced her surprise, peaking from the stairs out of the basement, a female Musketeer standing between her and 'Louise'.

"Yes, Princess, it is I. I have finally returned."

"Is that truly Louise? How do we know it is not a Spirit, possessing her, or the work of a Necromancer?" Karin found herself asking. 'This can't be Louise, It is an Undead thing, one that is exuding malevolence, my daughter would return to the Founders embrace were she to die, not get sent to hell.'

"I Am Louise De La Blanc De La Valliere, daughter of Duke De La Valliere, and Karin the Heavy Wind! I used to hide on the days when Cattalya was particularly sick, and you never found my hiding places, I was betrothed to Jean Jacques de Wardes- captain of the Griffin knights. When I was five, I used to be scared of your Manticore familiar. I was the royal playmate of Princess Henrietta. Is that enough to convince, mother?"

"It is enough to convince me." Old Osmond replied. "I cast an advanced for of detect magic on you, and the result is not matching anything I am familiar with. You do not resemble any necromancy I have ever seen, and I saw much when I was still Young Osmond. I believe it is you. Welcome back, Miss Valliere."

Karin was uncertain, but decided to give the woman before her the benefit of the doubt, for now.

"If it is you, where have you been? What happened to you?"

The answer was in a much quieter, gentler voice, one almost devoid of the metallic echo.

"When I failed the Summoning Ritual, I was sent to hell. And then I died."

* * *

Author notes: I was particularly inspired when i wrote the first chapter, so long ago, and the attempts to continue after i published it here simply weren't nearly as good quality, and later i got writers block on this story, and a muse pulling to other stories. go read them, some are even good!

Only recently did i find the within myself to push past said block, my attempt initiating at a recent review asking if the fic was to be continued or die.

I hoped it remains as good as the first chapter, though i still feel like the second one should be better written, you think this one lowered the quality of the fic? or somehow negatively effected the story?

Sorry for the delay, thought warn that i am unlikely to do a third chapter in July.


	3. Chapter 3

Jean Colbert, once known, and, to his deep regret and shame, feared, as the Flame Snake, currently a professor in Tristain Academy of Magic, looked at the figure of the student he failed, for as her teacher, he shouldered blame in her current predicament.

_The Girl asked permission to try a third time, after making only explosions twice. She was a diligent student, well versed in the theory, and looked very nervous; he really didn't want to fail her, there would be consequences either way with nobility involved, maybe a scandal. Permission was granted._

His role in watching over the Familiar Summoning Ritual only increased his responsibility, and deepened his failure-hers was only the direct result of his incompetence.

_The chant was done correctly, flawlessly, just like in the previous attempts. Maybe a clue as to the reason for the failure would reveal itself, and they will not have to fail the girl? _

_Explosion, this one bigger than previously. With the smoke cleared and gone, so was the young mage, no sign of her at all, alive or dead. Not even a hint._

After Osmond's confirmation of her, he was still uncertain, though having never seen anything like it either, he did not question it. 'I know little about necromancers and necromancy, and even if this is a spirit, she seems to think herself Louise Valliere, and may shed light on what really happened, and her current condition.'

He suspected Old Osmond was of similar mind.

They still politely asked the servants away, and sworn them to silence. The maid whose scream alerted them, he thought her name was Siesta, or something, was asked aside by the Headmaster who tried to calm her, with the Princess and her Musketeer to enforce the importance of keeping what she saw secret. The Duchess asked for a bit of fresh air outside.

"You needn't constantly look at my chin; it is not my most endearing part, Professor." The chilling, inhuman voice coming out of his former student's mouth seemed to tease, though the tone almost failed to convey it. "I know my eyes unsettle."

'I avoid your gaze not due to the strange, glowing eyes, or the bloodlust I saw in them when you attacked, but because of my guilt, my failure to protect you from the horrors that you experienced, my part in whatever happened when you disappeared.'

She seemed to have read, or at least see some of his thoughts on him, as her pale visage took on soft look and a shy smile, as she gently spoke.

Ah, delicious guilt. Do not blame yourself, Professor; my current State is not a fault of yours."

"So you really are undead now?" For some reason Jean wanted to hear her reply, was she really undead, did she even knew of her being one? He has heard legends, as a youth, about ghosts that were unaware of their own demise, continuously performing their duties with obsession.

"As my third attempt failed, I found myself in another land, that may as well been another world." She chuckled at that point. "Nobody could talk in any Brimiric language, or explain where I was, by the time I realized that the kingdom I was in actually worshipped Light, instead of proper Void, it was attacked and soon overrun by an army of undead-it was Hell. My explosions proved particularly useful against them, though", she gleefully commented, her smiled turning predatory.

"I was singled out, by observing necromancers, and approached by their leader.

You could not imagine my surprise and outrage upon learning that the one who commanded these necromancers and their dark abominations was not only a Noble, but the very Crown Prince of the kingdom.

He was not satisfied in merely killing me, but to add to the indignity, had cursed me with undeath, using particularly unholy rituals to turn me into a loyal Lieutenant of his Scourge of undead army- a member of his parody of knightly order, The Knights of the Ebon Blade."

Trying to wrap his mind around the many strange things this short story told, he had to ask.

What happened to that order? Is that undead army a threat to Tristain and Halkeginia?"

"No, you can calm on that matter- the Knights of the Ebon Blade were later freed from the Dark Prince's control by a righteous man, in an epic battle at a holy cathedral, and sought to redeem themselves by combating the abominable army they commanded." Louise Valliere looked into his eyes, and Colbert saw something dangerous, but all too human in hers as she gleefully finished her tale, lips turning in a malicious smirk. "They, we, put him to a final rest. He and his army will never bother anyone again."

* * *

Author Notes: I hope this chapter answered some of the questions about Louise. Yes she is a member of the Ebon Blade, and is a DK of the PC variety. i think WOTLK was the best expansion and enjoyed it immensely. I also hope this doesn't feel too much like info-dump.

Please Review.


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